


Scars

by Dylan_Ols02



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gen, My First Fanfic, Varian Needs a Hug (Disney)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dylan_Ols02/pseuds/Dylan_Ols02
Summary: When Varian suffers a small accident after falling off a roof, Eugine and Rapunzel discover that their little friend might have been hiding a hard reality about his stay in prison.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 98





	Scars

**Author's Note:**

> After a long time enjoying the wonderful stories that have been born here, I have decided to publish my own one shot. I don't have much more to say, I just feel so much about spelling failures and I hope you like it.

"You're really saying I have to go up there just to get the ball back?"

"Come on V, you know the rules, you've made it end there, so it's you who has to go up and get it."

"Since when are you afraid of heights?"

"That's not why, the house belongs to old Fischer, and as he finds out I've climbed his roof just to get a ball back, I better pray that all he does is tell it my father."

"V, your father's not even in Corona right now, so if the old man catches you the only thing he can do is get you off his property, plus it looks like the house is empty, I doubt he's here."

"If you want us to watch in case anyone comes, but the ball has to bring it to you."

Varian sighed, like he analyzed the options he had at the time. He knew he had to bring the ball back, after all, it was true that he had ended up on the roof of the house because of him, but it's not like he was excited to climb a roof just to get the object back. However, he knew he had no choice.

"Okay, I'm gonna go up, but let me know if anyone comes and how old Fischer gets here I'm gonna get off the roof immediately and start running like I never have."

The girls took the deal between a lot of laughs, then went to hide behind some trees near the house, so they could see the way perfectly and if anyone came, they could tell Varian in time to get off the roof.

Varian noticed that his legs were shaking a little, at the time he was afraid it would all go wrong. He was afraid old Fischer would come back suddenly, also afraid that some guard would come by who was patrolling around the area and think he was trying to sneak into the house to steal. Even with the tremor in his arms and legs, Varian continued to climb the wall of the house, knew well that the sooner he got the ball back, the sooner he could play quietly with the girls again.

Surprisingly, climbing the wall and walking on the roof didn't cost him too much, although Varian knew he had to walk cautiously, since the house was too old and could accidentally break some beam.

Kiera and Catalina watched their friend walking the roof of the house very carefully, as soon as Varian got the ball back, he upped it so the girls could see it. Kiera didn't admit it, but she was worried about something bad going on, but as soon as she saw Varian coming down the roof again, she relaxed a little.

None of the three kids were clear if what happened at that time lasted only a few seconds or longer. What's certain is he caught them off guard.

When Varian was moving on the roof of the house, already ready to go down, he felt that the beam he was supporting his weight was breaking under his hand. At that point, Varian lost his balance and fell over the edge of the roof. Before landing on the floor, Varian hit the top of the small tool store that old Fischer had placed next to the wall of his house. Finally, Varian landed on the sand floor. He felt the pain invaded his body and he could hear the voices of Kiera and Catalina screaming his name just before his whole vision became black.

* * *  
If there was anything Rapunzel was very clear at that time of the day, it was very grateful to her parents. While the king insisted that, as a princess she was, she should at all times show a good image, he also knew that Rapunzel was still young and precisely because of that, he saw no problem granting her free weeks so she could enjoy with her boyfriend or her friends.

Although Rapunzel was very excited at first, she was a little disappointed when she found out that Eugine wouldn't have that week off just like her. The reason was simple, the king had personally asked him to conduct a deep investigation into the quality of life of prisoners in Corona Prison. Frederick had heard rumours of abuse by some guards for a long time, but as much as he was trying to investigate it, he had never come to any conclusion. Still, he trusted Captain Fitherbert to find out the truth.

Eugine was stuck in his investigation. He knew that the former captain of the guard (Cassandra's father) had also investigated it a few years ago, but when he had gone to see him, former Captain Simon told him that he had failed to reach anything since most prisoners denied rumors or didn't want to talk to him.

Even so, when Rapunzel showed up in his office and suggested to take a break to go to Attila's bakery for some cupcakes, Eugine couldn't refuse.

"You know how to cheer a man Sunshine"

Eugine and Rapunzel were about to arrive at Attila's bakery when they heard someone calling them. They both turned around and saw Lance, who seemed upset.

"I've been looking all over for you"

"Lance, is something wrong? Why are you so upset?"

"The girls have warned me as soon as they could, apparently they and Varian were playing in Old Corona, but they had lost the ball, then he had to get it back so he's climbed on a roof and..."

Lance was talking so fast, neither Eugine nor Rapunzel understood what he was saying. The captain tried to calm his friend down.

"Lance, talk slower, what's happened, is anyone hurt?"

"You better come with me to the hospital, there the girls will explain better than I do what happened."

They both looked very overwhelmed. Why should they go to the hospital? Had anything serious happened with any of the kids? The three decided to go quickly because the place was not near Attila's bakery and everyone wanted the girls to explain to them what had happened.

* * *  
After they got to the hospital, the nurses made them sit in the waiting room chairs, where there was no one but Kiera and Catalina, who after they hugged their father started explaining to the adults what had happened, apparently Varian had fallen from the roof of a house after trying to get back a ball they had been playing with. After the fall, they both had taken him to the hospital as quickly as possible, although with a lot of difficulty.

Rapunzel reassured the girls, who said it was her fault, they had more experience to climb on rooftops, if any of them had tried to get the ball back, Varian wouldn't have fallen.

The princess spoke to them with a calm voice, saying it wasn't her fault, no one could know what was going to happen, maybe if either of them had gone up on the roof instead of Varian, it would have ended up the same.

Eugine and Lance agreed with Rapunzel's words, they were not to blame for what had happened.

As soon as the girls were consoled, the doors in the hospital emergency room (which was the area where they treated patients) opened and a young doctor came from there who went straight to them.

"You're all here for the boy?"

It was Rapunzel who answered the question.

"Yeah, we're all here for Varian, how is he?"

"You have nothing to worry about, he just have some bumps and bruises and he may have a little headache but he have no fracture or any worrying wounds."

Everyone in the waiting room breathed relieved with a smile on their face, at that time, the doctor continued to talk.

"However, there is one thing I'd like to talk to you about. You know anything about the boy's father?"

Eugine was the one who answered the question.

"His father's not in Corona right now, he's had to leave for a couple of weeks," we're both looking after him.

"Well, I guess I should tell you then."

Rapunzel was missed at the doctor's words, although she remained silent, letting him speak.

"When I was examining him to check that he didn't have any serious injuries, I found that the boy has a scar of a burn near the wrist of his right arm."

Eugine thought it was odd that the doctor would give importance to the mark of a simple burn.

"Well, he usually works with dangerous products, maybe burned with some chemical while investigating..."

"No, you don't understand, I'm not talking about a normal burn."

The doctor pulled out a folder a paper drawn before he said.

"We drew a drawing of the area in question for you to see it"

The doctor gave Rapunzel the drawing and the others came to see it as well. The drawing, which was very well done, showed the area of Varian's arm just below the wrist, there was perfectly distinguished a huge scar from what appeared to be a burn. Although, as the doctor said, the burn was not normal but was shaped like letters, which showed a word.

TRAITOR

The girls looked scared, Eugine covered her mouth with their hands, Lance and Rapunzel were paralyzed. At the scene, the doctor kept talking.

"From the looks of the scar, it looks like it's a burn that got infected, I reckon it must be about 2 or even 3 years ago."

Rapunzel suddenly rose, very shocked. 2 years? At that time she had gone on a trip with Eugine, Cassandra and her other friends to discover the secret of black rocks, but Varian wasn't with them, Varian was in Corona Prison at that time. That meant the wound was done in prison? It couldn't be, the Corona Prison was famous for being the most peaceful of the seven kingdoms.

Eugine, who had been quiet for a while, was the one who broke the silence.

"Thank you for telling us about this, Doctor. Now could we see our friend?"

"Right now he's unconscious and I'd rather he's like this a little bit more, but as soon as he wakes up and check if he's all right, I'll let you know and he can go home."

Eugine shook hands with the doctor before he left to attend to other patients. Lance decided it was time to take the girls back home so they could rest after the long day they had, but Kiera and Catalina refused to leave Varian without apologizing for the fall. Rapunzel, who also believed that the girls needed rest, insisted on them.

"Girls, it's possible he won't wake up until it's too long and you two need sleep, come to the castle tomorrow morning and you can see Varian all you want."

The princess's words convinced the girls, who went with her father back home, before Lance left, asked Eugine to keep him informed about what they found out.

* * *  
Rapunzel, Eugine and Varian returned to the castle when it was too late. After waking up at the hospital, Varian had been released almost immediately. Although Rapunzel and Eugine were concerned about Varian's wound that the doctor taught them, they decided to talk about the subject quietly when they arrived at the castle.

Right after they arrived, Eugine went to his room and changed his clothes. Rapunzel took Varian to a small castle room near the guest room he used when he stayed there. After she scolded him for the silly things he had done with the girls, she served him a bowl of soup that had left over from dinner to eat something.

Varian was tired, it could see that just by looking at him in the face, which was now adorned with a lock on his forehead, under which there were three stitches covering one of the many wounds that had been made with the fall. At that point, Varian didn't want to think about anything, he just wanted to finish dinner and get into bed so he could finally rest.

When Eugine showed up at the door, he stared at Rapunzel, just before she started talking.

"Varian, can we talk about something?"

"Princess, if you're gonna scold me again for climbing the roof of a house, I told you I won't do it again."

"No, it has nothing to do with that, Eugine and I wanted to talk to you about something else."

Rapunzel breathed deeply before she talked.

"When you were in the hospital, the doctor who treated you came to see us and told us that nothing serious had happened to you, but that while he was examining you, he realized you had a very unusual scar on your right arm."

Varian was deeply surprised at that situation, scared, quickly removed his arm from above the table before denying Rapunzel's assertion.

"N-no, that's not true, I don't have any scars on my arm."

This time it was Eugine who intervened in the conversation.

"Kid, they even showed us a drawing of your arm and we can see the scar perfectly."

Varian felt trapped in the face of that situation, he squeezed his right arm with a great deal of force before he continued to deny Eugine and Rapunzel's words.

"We'll get nothing." She thought Rapunzel before she ends the conversation.

Varian returned to his room quickly as possible after him, locked the door and lay on his back in bed, didn't realize that he was still holding his right arm tightly. He used his left hand to take off his glove and then rub carefully the scar, which he had been denying so long. TRAITOR. That word that would carry forever in his body, that word that had caused him so many nightmares, that word that had ruined his life.

That night, Varian was invaded by memories.

The memories of being locked in a cold, dark cell.

The memories of trying to lay low to keep the guards from looking at him and trying to hit him for fun.

The memories of trying to protect from those abuse another prisoner much older than him.

The memories of two guards who held him very tightly while another guard used an iron alive to create the scar that would keep that moment.

The memories of lying on the floor of the cell with the right arm extended and feeling like the fever made him impossible to move.

The memories of distinguishing the wound from the arm completely infected as he noticed a tear fell by his cheek while a drop of blood came out of the burn and walked through his arm.

Varian woke up several times that night, shocked by nightmares.

* * *

Eugine wanted to help. He had decided to get deep into the investigation into the Corona Prison in the hope of finding out what had happened to Varian while he was locked up there.

Hours of investigation led Eugine to Harry Bellows's home, a teacher who had been a royal guard in his youth. Harry apparently had been one of the best royal guards that Corona had seen, even the king at that time had come to offer him the captain's post, yet Harry had rejected the post because he didn't see himself completely qualified. Harry had spent his last years as a guard working at the Corona prison, but after a long time he decided to quit work to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher. Now, Harry was retired, but he was still willing to talk to Eugine about his work in prison.

Eugine was talking to Harry about the investigation he was conducting on the rumors of mistreatment in prison. For some reason, Harry didn't seem surprised.

"You see, a couple of years ago, the captain of the guard there was then came to see me for exactly the same reason you, apparently he had discovered an important clue in this whole thing, but unfortunately, his research remained at nothing."

"You mean Captain Simon, don't you? What kind of clue did he discover?"

"Apparently when a young prisoner had been acquitted of his robbery crimes after only a few months in jail, they found that he had a huge scar of a burn on his arm, which he had not when he had been arrested, but it was not a normal burn, but it was shaped like THIEF. Captain Simon investigated this and although he concluded that that wound could only have been caused in prison, neither the prisoner nor anyone he questioned wanted to talk to him about that mark."

Eugine couldn't believe what he heard, it was exactly the same thing that had happened with Varian.

"I'm so sorry I can't help you in anything else. I know I can't speak for all the people working in the Corona prison, but I can assure you that, as much as the prisoners deserved a beating, I would never have dared to abuse anyone."

"Thank you so much for your time, Harry, you've been a great help."

Eugine had had a lot of time to make a decision about an idea that he'd been hanging around his head since the investigation started. Although he hadn't been able to make up his mind until that time.

The captain knew exactly what he had to do next, and with a little luck would be the last step he would have to take in his investigation.

* * *  
Preston Barber was a liar, a thief and a horrible person. That man had been causing trouble and misfortune since he had started robbing in the stores near the orphanage he had been raised since he was a kid. That's what anyone who only knew the rumors about that man would say. That was probably one of the reasons why when Nancy Barber was found dead in her own bed with a knife stuck behind her back, no one doubted a minute that the perpetrator could have only been Preston Barber. No neighbour of Corona doubted it, the judge who had sentenced him to 14 days in Corona Prison and 25 years in Koto had no doubt about it, even the judge who gave him freedom for good conduct after he had served 10 years of sentence doubted him. However, there was only one person who disagreed with that. Eugine Fitherbert knew Preston Barber was a good man, already in his teenage he had started robbing some food stores in the hope that he could help feed all the children in the orphanage. Preston loved his wife Nancy more than anything or anyone else in the world. Unlike what people were trying to say, a man like Preston would never have been able to hurt Nancy.

"My good friend, Flynn Rider, how nice to see you again after so long."

Eugine had written a letter to Preston a few days ago in the hope that he could meet him at Snuggly Duckling, although he hadn't mentioned him that he would be a key piece to get to the bottom of his investigation.

"Same old friend, how'd everything go?"

"Well, I got released from jail before for good behavior and now I have a good job in Neserdnia so I'd say pretty well."

"I'm glad to hear that, I wanted to see you today in the hope that you'd help me on a matter."

"What is it?"

Eugine wasn't very clear how to start the conversation, he knew Preston could be a key piece in that whole thing, so he had to play his cards well.

"Preston, you had nothing to do with your wife's murder."

"Well, thank you, you're the only one who believes me, but I guess you haven't made me travel here just to repeat something you already told me 10 years ago."

"No, it's just that I find it very strange that if you weren't responsible for that murder you decided to get a tattoo on your right arm with the word MURDERER while you were in jail."

Preston gave his wisky a drink and looked at the table before he talked.

"In jail, anyone loses their heads, many do crazy things."

"Well, I don't think you made that mark. In fact, I know you didn't, because a friend of mine has a mark that's very similar to yours, but with another word."

Preston looked up almost suddenly, with a strange expression on his face.

"My friend is only 16, he was 14 when he was sent to jail for treason, and we just found out he has a scar in the same area as you, but with the word TRAITOR. Those burn marks, have anything to do with rumors of abuse in prison?"

Preston took a while to look back at his glass, although he finally looked into Eugine's eyes and told him.

"I wish I could help you, old friend, but if I tell the truth, I'm a dead man. Although if you want that little friend of yours to talk, you have to make him see he's safe telling the truth, because if he's just feeling a little unsafe, he won't tell you anything. The truth you're looking for is darker than you imagine."

That said, Preston drank the wisky that he had left one drink, left some coins on the table and left the pub very calmly.

After that conversation, Eugine was very clear what his last step was supposed to be.

* * *

Varian was overwhelmed, just looking him in the eye to know. When he felt like that he used to sit under a huge tree that was in the woods near Old Corona, that helped him clear his mind. Besides, he could avoid meeting Rapunzel, who had been looking for him all morning to talk to him again about his scar on his arm.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Varian turned suddenly, shocked by the voice that spoke to him. When he turned around, he met Eugine, just the other person he didn't want to see, although he knew if he ran away Eugine would take him right away, so he just looked away and talked to him coldly.

"What do you want?"

"You know very well what I want. I want you to tell me the truth about your scar and don't keep insisting me that it's nothing."

"IT'S ENOUGH, THIS ISN'T ANYTHING ABOUT YOU"

Eugine was surprised that Varian shouted at him so suddenly, he was still not willing to give up.

"Varian, if anyone hurts someone else if it's my business and even more if that other person turns out to be my little brother."

Varian looked at Eugine, very surprised by what he had just heard, he knew Eugine seemed like a friend very close, but he wasn't expected to see him that way.

"Look, kid, I know you're afraid to tell me the truth, but you know me, you know very well that I would never let anyone hurt you, if you tell me the truth, I swear on my life that I'm gonna protect you, whatever the situation."

Varian was quiet for quite a while, as if he was having a hard time making a decision about what to do.

Finally, after a few minutes Eugine thought they were eternal, Varian looked up, stared at his brother and said.

"Okay, I'll tell you, I'll tell the truth, but on one condition. No one in the whole kingdom can know that I've told you. And I'm very serious, if anyone finds out, I'm a dead man."

Eugine didn't have a hard time taking the deal, he just wanted to find out the truth. The truth about the mysterious scar that Varian and Preston shared. The truth about the rumors of the prison. The truth that Varian was so afraid of.

Back in the castle, Varian and Eugine went to an empty room near the area where the royal guards kept their weapons.

Varian started telling his story. The story of how prisoners lived in Corona Prison. Apparently all prisoners were living in fear of some guards, who were eager to wait for someone to skip the rules so that they could “punish him”.

Varian told Eugine that the first “punishment” applied to prisoners was what they called "the iron," was to use an iron to mark sheep with the word "THIEF, TRAITOR or MURDERER to make a permanent mark on the prisoner.

Varian, for the first time, had decided to take off the right glove to show Eugine his huge scar. While explaining that part of his story, he had to stop several times to wipe out the tears that fell down his cheeks.

"When they had applied the "punishment" of the iron, they would return us to the cell and leave us there, isolated from the rest for a week. Since we had nothing to treat the burning in the cells, the wound almost always got infected and we spent days with pain and high fever, with the burning arm and sometimes bleeding, and there was nothing to do."

This time, Varian had not been able to hold it any longer and had started crying. Eugine couldn't believe what he just heard. Varian's story had left him completely paralyzed. Those "punishments" were actually torture. Varian was lucky that they only applied the first one (the torture of the iron) but he told him about the others. Sword cuts, food ban, torch burns, bone fractures. And all that was done by prison guards for fun. The guards of a prison who had the fame of being the safest and peaceful of the seven kingdoms.

"Kid, can you give me the name of some of the monsters who did those torture in jail?"

Varian was surprised that Eugine was headed to the guards with the word "monsters" although it is what they are after all.

"I don't know the names of almost anyone. They didn't tell us, I guess to save themselves trouble."

Before we talked about it, Varian was carefully rubbed his arm scar.

"But the three that did this to me... I'll never forget them... It was Barry, Jakob and Alan."

* * *

Varian felt free.

After years of hiding the truth, believing that that dark part of his life would torment him forever, he finally felt like a caged bird that they had released after a long time.

Eugine (keeping his promise) had informed the king that an anonymous former prisoner had given him some information about the rumors about abuse in prison. Both had opened a full investigation into prison guards. Of course Jakob, Alan and Barry had been fired from their work as royal guards and then arrested by the captain. After they arrest, they had been taken to the dungeons of the castle, awaiting trial.

After several royal guards were arrested, some other former prisoners such as Preston Barber had decided to tell the captain their version of what they had lived in prison.  
Every story, it surprised Eugine more. If he'd learn anything from this experience, is that nothing is what it seems to be at first.

Varian had decided to be honest with Rapunzel, although he had asked her not to tell anyone the truth. Although most former prisoners who had given a statement against some of the guards had decided not to hide their identity, Varian felt safer knowing that only him, Eugine and Rapunzel knew that he had told all the truth.

**Author's Note:**

> I did it, I can't believe it, I wrote a full one shoot.  
> At first I didn't know if I would be able to finish it, besides, I'm terrible at writing endings. Again, I'm very sorry for misspellings, it's the bad thing about not writing originally in English.  
> I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I have two fanfics of several chapters pending. One of them will be pure angst (well, maybe not so much xD) and will be based on the film "Love Kennedy" (comment if you want more details), the other will be quite shorter and will be to deepen a little into the relationship between Varian, Kiera and Catalina because I love their friendship and I am very angry that in the series there were not many moments together (again comment if you want details).  
> Thank you so much for reading if you've come this far, I'll send you kisses and hugs.


End file.
